


As Above, So Below

by Kali_Blue



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Enderal (Video Game)
Genre: Brief reflections on immortality, Denial, Established Relationship, F/M, Magic, Mechanical Monsters, Post-Apocalypse, Post-Canon, Relationship(s), Such as they are, floating city
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-11 07:33:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12930510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kali_Blue/pseuds/Kali_Blue
Summary: An introspective Jespar reflects on his current situation and of a civilisation now gone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just an FYI: Massive spoilers for one of the endings of Enderal.

_Once a certain set of events took place, this future was one of only a few likely outcomes. Any better possibilities were miniscule at best. I would not see it as a loss, but perhaps a chance to steer humanity where it needs to go in the next cycle._

 

High above the earth; a green eyed, silver haired man sat, gazing down contemplatively at the world below. It was in stark contrast to his earlier behaviour years ago, where he’d made it a habit to avoid looking at the endless view. The memory of the worlds destruction had been too fresh in his mind at the time. The ruin of civilisation itself a painful reminder that it was only him and his lover who had survived the end of the world.

But as he’d come to discover, pain fades eventually. Even sorrow ran its course in the end. He rather enjoyed the view now.

And so his mind instead turned to the Starlings. They’d been an ingenious race. The sight that greeted him were of stone and steel fortresses floating on nothing. Vines sprawled over walls and spiralled up towers, leaving little of Starling city untouched by plant life. Even perched as he was on a long stone overpass connecting two floating structures; he could hear still low hum of gears and devices keeping them afloat. Once an irritation to his ears, the sound of levers and pulleys was preferable to complete silence. It meant the city continued to function like it should. The overpass overlooked a sprawling, ancient garden just below. When he gazed beyond it, soft white clouds floated on a westerly wind just below the city.

The view would never get old.

A metallic roar echoed through the city, and he turned his head towards the sound. Jespar was startled, but not fearful. Never afraid these days. It was his lover who’d turned the remaining mechanical inhabitants into guardians for the both of them, and in turn any mistrust at their presence had eroded years ago. The click-clacking of mechanical robots trotting about the city were a daily part of life. They were the denizens of the city now, as much as him and his lover.

Even so, it had taken years for Jespar to accustom himself to the use of Starling technology. He’d learned much, yet he was no scholar. Learning which button did what and which lever did this had taken time. So, yes, there had been a _few_ mistakes along the way, seeing as he was learning by trial and error. The button to turn on the lights?  Why, yes, he knew that now. It was next to the one that released a hoard of mechanical spiders into the laboratory.

A closer _thump_ forced his head up. Jespar found himself face to face with a large mechanical creature wrapping itself around the base of a clockwork tower to his left.

‘Hey buddy,’ Jespar waved.

Not inclined to move far from its perch, the massive creature extended its long neck towards Jespar. He found himself meeting glowing blue eyes. Like the rest of the city and its mechanical inhabitants, the steam dragon seemed to emit a perpetual low hum.

Jespar patted the ‘dragon’s’ head, and the creature blinked large glowing eyes at him. He chose to think of it as such with its lizard-like head and body, even if it wasn’t quite an exact replica. It had metal scaling starting from it’s head all the way down to its thin tail. Spikes, sharp as swords, started at its neck and trailed off just at the base of the tail. Bat-like wings were tucked closely to its sides and looked surprisingly fragile. They were made of a thin metal membrane; flexible as material and strong as steel. It was substance he’d never seen before and not been able identify since.

The man moved his hands forward eagerly; hoping for more interaction or even just for company. Though the city seemed to ever produce new things to see and learn, it was not exactly teeming with life. Even the company of the dragon was welcome. Granted, this was a similar creature to the one who had once threatened their very lives, but that has been years ago. He barely remembered it now, and the old woman (what was her name again?) who’d perished at the dragon's jaws was someone he’d barely known. It was pointless, at least in this life, to hold on to very old grudges.

The creature sniffed like a dog before drawing back the tower once more. A blunt refusal if ever there was one. The creature turned stock still; the floating cities eternal guardian.

Jespar sighed. Like any live creature, this one had moods. It seemed the dragon wasn’t up for more socialising beyond a simple greeting today. 

He gave the creature a wistful smile instead, and asked the one thing he knew the dragon would do. ‘Take me to her?’


	2. Chapter 2

Jespar wandered into Eve’s laboratory half an hour later. She had his back to him. Surrounded by various gears, devices and other mechanical nick-nacks he had no name for, Jespar couldn’t help but smile. Humming gently under her breath, the elf was in her element here. A medium sized cage stood to her right. Contained within that enclosure were several fluttering moonglow moths; they bathed the laboratory in a soft ethereal blue glow. Below her were half a dozen mechanical spiders clattering around her feet.

While Eve was distracted, he took the opportunity to shoo the automatons away. A few lingered despite Jespar’s motions.

‘Out!’ shouted the exasperated mercenary. They took one glance at the fury on his face and marched themselves out; leaving the room with quiet clatters and sad chitters. He closed the door _firmly_ behind them so a few would not be tempted to sneak back in. So distracted was Eve she failed to notice her companions had left the room

He took a moment to just _look_ at her, something that Jespar had never grown tired of even after all these years. Her appearance was largely Arternan despite her halfling blood. The angles of her face were sharp. Deep olive skin and amber eyes so dark they appeared red in low lights. Delicately pointed ears peeped out from dark hair; the fine strands were without a trace of white. What few lines were around Eve's face were more from forces of habit than because of aging. Eve was still the beautiful woman he’d met; had aged not a day since the first time Jespar had pulled her out of some shrubbery feet first, unconscious and delirious with fever. That was to be expected, and he'd made his peace with it long ago. She was _fleshless_  after all. Her kind were immortal. 

‘Up to much?’ Jespar asked when he’d toddled up just behind her, the question half hopeful.

Surprised, Eve blinked and swung around to face her lover. ‘When did you get here?’

‘About five minutes ago.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yep.’

Eve peered around the room, ‘where are the Starling spiders?’

‘Banished.’

She pursed her lips.

‘They’re a distraction from your work.’ Jespar added hastily. Which, to be fair, was half true. The little critters loved their mistress to death. Gain even a bit of her attention, and they’d hold it for as long as they could. They were to much like puppies in that sense. ‘What are you doing?’

Take the conversation back to her interests, and Eve so often forgot small annoyances. It worked. Eve looked down at the machine part in her hands, brows furrowed in concentration. From Jespars own glance down it appeared to be a cog of some kind. ‘Repair. Older machines, mostly, though they’ll run just fine with the right parts.’ Jespar sighed when his lover’s eyes, there was no other word for it, _sparkled_. It was not where he’d wanted the conversation to head. ‘The automatons are amazingly resilient. Starling magic is what keeps them relatively rust free and operational for long periods of time. From what little I’ve been able to deduce, they’ll last for centuries. And that’s _out_ of their hibernation states.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Oh! That reminds me; in the second laboratory I found a hidden compartment leading to a massive armory. You like finding things and exploring the city, so I thought you might be interested in…’

'Which we can explore _later_ ,’ Jespar interrupted firmly, prying the cog from his lovers grip. He placed it on the desk behind them and drew his hand back to Eve’s arm. Gently, he kissed the side of her neck.

‘Jespar!’ Her voice was exasperated but to Jespars relief, her tone was more amused than annoyed.

‘You haven’t aged a day since I met you,’ Jespar joked suddenly.

‘Now that’s a poor attempt at distraction if ever I’ve heard one,’ she scolded him and shifted slightly away, but Jespar was a man who liked human contact and physical affection. He moved in closer and tried not to appear to smug when his lover’s breath quickened. With short silver-blonde hair framing a face with baby blue-eyes, thin nose and slightly full lips, Jespar was a handsome man. It was something he knew all too well. In his heyday Jespar had used those looks to lure more than one woman, and even the occasional man, to his bed. If it helped gain the attention for his lover, he was all for using it to his advantage.

Though he guessed he still looked young for his age, he certainly felt…older. A little wiser perhaps. Not quite so glued to his ‘lone wolf’ philosophy. After the events with his sister and former lover; he used ascribe to being alone like it was some kind of religion.

The things he used to think and say, well, even he was slightly embarrassed by it now. 

As ever, his lover was far more reserved in her demeanor, and he was brought back from his thoughts as a hand lightly carded his hair. Eve’s face turned gentle and her lips titled upwards, ‘I knew you liked me only for my looks.’

‘And your inheritance,’ Jespar responded, eyes roving over the laboratory.

‘As I suspected,’ Eve patted his cheek. ‘Though I don’t know why. You were born into nobility.’

‘Ah-ah. I’ve always been a mercenary before a noble.’

‘Of course,’ Eve responded easily, small smile fond and full of memories. She traced his face with a finger, ‘but you must admit it would have served you well had you remained high-born.’

‘Perhaps,’ Jespar shrugged, letting the comment slide. There was no insinuation in the comment; merely a very old observation. As someone born in poverty, she still failed to understand _why_ he chose to leave his title behind on Enderal. It was a fact totally irrelevant in this brave new world of theirs.  ‘Though that’s totally irrelevant now. And soon you’ll have an old man for a partner.’

For some reason the Arternian frowned. Her brow furrowed and her expression turned contemplative, ‘I wonder about that.’

Jespar’s smile turned quizzical. Eve ran a hand down the side of his face again, and observed in an almost off-handed fashion. ‘No grey in that hair of yours. No lines on your face. It’s hard to notice up here, I suppose. No people around to point it out. And time seems to move… differently here,’ Eve said cryptically.

A sense of dread rose in Jespar. For a few brief, horrifying seconds, Jespar was back at his home confronting his sister; back when the realisation was still fresh in his mind that his own sibling had gone mad. It was the last thought that floated through his brain when a ball of fire had hit Jespar so hard he’d been thrown backwards by the sheer force of it. He’d felt a blessedly quick flash of pain from burning skin and the smell of smoke in his nostrils. After that the world had gone dark.

_I’m human,_ Jespar said furiously to himself.

_Human?_ A sudden, vivid image flashed across eyes. The image of a veiled woman entered his thoughts, floating on thin air and bestowing upon him a smile that was utterly haunting. And those eyes. Those blank, emotionless eyes. The woman looked at him with limpid pools of nothing.

_Are you?_

He promptly shook his head clear of thoughts, _all_ thoughts, and turned his attention back to the real world. He'd repeated the mantra he'd told himself so many times before,  _I'm human. I'm human. human human, not..._

To his surprise, Eve had cupped her hands across both sides of his face. As if in some instinctive need for comfort, both of his arms had moved to circle around Eve's waist. Her face was so close to Jespars he could feel her breath on his skin.

'I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up,' Eve said sadly. 'It allows her to sink her sink her claws into you, so I won't say much more just... this. Despite what that woman will tell you, it doesn’t  _matter_ what you are. Remember that.'  

 


End file.
